geniabeme beauty blog

Glasses from coastal.com

2012-02-16T21:29:00.000-05:00

I needed some glasses for late night TV watching. I hate getting out of bed just to take my contacts out. I didn't want to spend much since I would just be wearing them at home. I got these free glasses at coastal.com! You get your first par free by entering "FIRSTPAIRFREE" (you will have to pay for shipping and handling).

I paid $9.95 total for shipping and handling. Not bad huh?! The ones I picked where the Kam Dhillon 3014 Black Panther. They have black rims with pink in the back and also some pink showing on the sides.

AWESOME site! The shipping took about a week. If you decide to get some please use my referral link!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased these myself.

Philips SatinPerfect Epilator

2012-02-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

I was sent an Philips SatinPerfect Epilator fro being a BzzAgent.

I was VERY excited to try this product because I read that you use it dry and not in the shower. I am known to do dry shaves all the time because I notice I need to shave RIGHT before I go somewhere. Epilators are known to reduce hair growth the more you use them.

Epilators basically "tweeze" your hair off. YES this sounds painful. It wasn't actually that bad for me. I have a good tolerance for pain and it only hurt in a couple of places. The top side of the leg was fine. The bottom side of the leg wasn't that bad but I definitely felt some pinches. I also tried this on my underarm. OUCH! It hurt bad. Pretty bad, BUT I fought through the pain and got through both underarms. The results were amazing! Smooth without razor burn (I always get razor burn on my underarms)!

If you can handle a little pain for beauty, I would highly recommend this! Its so easy and I am hoping it will really reduce hair growth since summer is coming soon!

DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free for being a BzzAgent. Opinions are 100% mine.

Birchbox - February 2012

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

February 2012 Birchbox

My box included:

BEAUTY BLENDER- Very cute and bright! I don't have a use for this because I use a flat top brush for foundation I'm actually swapping for the eye liners!
JOUER Moisture Tint- Tiny sample, but still excited to try.
OROFLUIDO Beauty Elixir- This leaked. If you can tell by the pic up there, almost 1/4th is gone :(
VIOLENT IPS- Temp Lip Tattoo- This is something I would have never bought but I'm excited to try it. I don't think I would ever wear them out but they will be fun for a FOTD!
Nail File- Cute little extra
GREEN RIVER ORDINANCE Music Download- Eh, I might download some songs.

What box did you get?!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

Beauty Box 5- Another Sample Site

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Another sample site, Beauty Box 5! I just signed up yesterday. Use code "BOGO2" for a free month! Its $12 and you get 4- 5 samples. According to their Facebook page, samples include: packet samples, deluxe samples, and a fulled size item. I will report back to let everyone know what I get. My box is being shipped February 15th!

Will you be joining this sample box too? Please use my referral link if you do!

DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliation with this company.

NYX Color Lip Balm- Shukran

2012-02-12T17:10:00.001-05:00

NYX Color Lip Balm- Shukran

My new favorite colored lip balm! I picked this up at Ulta today and tried it right away.

$3.75

What a great price for a great product! The color on the tube is not as dark when you put it on. I chose CLB 12 which is called Shukran. This color makes your lips a darker pink but still natural. The smell is fruity but not something you will notice after you put it on. It is very moisturizing and does get dry or flaky after you have it on awhile.

Have your tired this yet? If not, I suggest you do.. its less than 4 bucks!

Don't forget to enter to win $50 to Too Faced Cosmetics!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

4 Natural Ways To Care For Your Skin

2012-02-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

A very informative guest post by : Imogen Reed!

4 Natural Ways To Care For Your Skin

Caring for your skin can sometimes seem like a constant and expensive task. With the host of new products launched every week that promise more beautiful skin than ever, the prospect of caring for your skin can appear daunting. However, there are a number of ways you can look after your skin naturally without using additional products.

Exfoliate
Getting rid of your dead skin cells will automatically make the skin underneath appear cleaner and younger. You can do this before you take a shower to ensure that when you are washing, you are cleaning the newer, fresher skin underneath. Exfoliating your skin is also useful for reducing swelling and puffiness in your flesh, as well as improving circulation.

Watch Your Diet
Keeping an eye on what you eat can also have an important effect on the health of your skin. Of course, if you are holidaying on an exotic beach or a Med cruise then you may want to let yourself go a little, but changing your regular dietary habits can make your skin look younger. Eat plenty of fibre in order to maintain regular movements, and drink lots of water to help cleanse your system of any impurities. If the foods you regularly eat do not have enough fibre, you can top up your diet with additional nuts, wholegrains and apples.

Avoid Sugar
Not only does sugar cause you to put on weight, but it can actually contribute to the premature ageing of skin. Too much sugar will cause healthy protein molecules in your skin to be damaged by glucose, making you look older. If you simply can’t get rid of your sweet tooth, switch to a sugar-free natural substitute to avoid ageing issues.

Improve Your Circulation
It makes sense that sitting still in one position for a long time will contribute to bloating and unnecessary swelling. If you have an office job that requires you to sit at a desk for long periods, make sure you take enough breaks where you can get up and move around. Try to get additional exercise as well, either by joining a gym or by running outside when you get home.

Don't forget to enter to win $50 to Too Faced Cosmetics!

$50 Too Faced Giveaway!

2012-02-06T17:47:00.000-05:00

YAY! I was picked to be Too Faced's February Level 2 Blogger of the Month!

With that said, I am happy to tell my readers, that you can win a $50 egift card to shop at www.toofaced.com! This expires 2/29/12, so plan to use it before then!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

DISCLAIMER: Too Faced is providing the egift card.

Bobble! - Foodie Fridays

2012-02-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

BEST invention for work and even school!

This is a water bottle with a filter built inside. I LOVE LOVE this thing. It has saved me so much money. The filter system works really good and makes fountain water taste like bottled water.

I try to drink 8 cups of water or more. Its hard to bring lots of bottles of water with me to work (its not only inconvenient but HEAVY too!). The water fountain in my building tastes like iron and all things you DO NOT want to taste. This water bottle makes it taste so much better!

You can purchase one here http://www.waterbobble.com for $8.99-$12.99 depending on the size.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

Cruelty Free Beauty

2012-02-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Awesome info graphic on Cruelty Free Beauty!

Click to enlarge.

DISCLAIMER: Guest post from http://www.ineedpampering.com/

Dolly Eye - Gothic 3 Tones Honey Review

2012-01-30T21:06:00.001-05:00

These Dolly Eye - Gothic 3 Tones Honey lenses are from www.uniqso.com.

Gothic 3 Tone Honey

DOLLY EYE

DIAMETER: 14.5 mm

These cover a little more over my original eye color. It gives my eyes a little pop of color without being overbearing. Since my eyes are already brown, these were a very subtle change. I wore these for around 12 hours without any problems with irritation or drying. I also like these because it doesn't have a bad halo effect when you put them in. With other colored lenses, you will see a blur around the center, with these I experienced minimal blur.

DISCLAIMER: I received free items in exchange for a review. Opinions 100% are mine and honest.

Geo Tri Color Violet Lens CM-905 (Berry Berry Chessy)

2012-01-23T20:24:00.000-05:00

I received these very pretty violet lenses from www.lensvillage.com.

Geo Tri Color Violet Lens CM-905 (Berry Berry Chessy)

GEO MEDICAL

DIAMETER: 14mm

Look at this cute lens case they come with!

The first day I tried these on, I wore them for over 8 hours and my eyes felt fine the whole day. They did not dry up or irritate me. They are very thin and easy to put in (then again, I wear contacts everyday). These feel like my everyday contacts, which is a big plus! I love these because they change the color of my eyes but people don't really notice until they really really look! This pair is definitely good choice if you want something subtle but still a little fun!

DISCLAIMER: I received free items in exchange for a review. Opinions 100% are mine and honest.

FOTD- Smokey Brown Eye

2012-01-21T20:08:00.003-05:00

My smokey brown eye look!

Eye Products Used:

MAC Retrospeck

MAC Tempting

NYX Runway Palette- Dark Matte Brown

PIXI Eyeliner

Tarte- Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

Urban Decay- Potion Primer

My Glam- January 2012

2012-01-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

I am a sample box junkie! Okay so my last one for this month.. MyGlam!

$10 includes..

Makeup Bag- Cute, I am sure I will find some use for it.

SHEERCOVER Concear Light/Medium- I tried this today and LOVE it. It stayed put all day and looked the same at the end of the day.

WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner- Excited to try this since I spent MLK watching QVC and WEN was one of the featured products!

THE BALM Hot Ticket Oh My Goth Nail Polish- So when I first saw this I thought "wow this is a really ugly brown color why would anyone want this?!" THEN I did a little swatch on some white paper and it came out a very dark maroon color! Okay, NOW I am excited to try this!

FREEMAN Facial Peel Off Mask Cucumber- I use to buy this all the time, glad to have another full size one!

Are you subscribed to this service? Thoughts?!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

Beauty Army- January 2012

2012-01-18T17:35:00.001-05:00

My Beauty Army Kit came today! If you don't know what this company is, go here and check them out! They are basically another sample box site.

The samples I PICKED are:

CELLCEUTICALS NeoCell- interested to try with my Clarisonic.

SHEATERR Rose Hips Black Soap- you might know I have a LOVE for african black soap, I am hoping this is similar!

LAROCCA Lip Shield- FULL SIZE! I can never have enough lip gloss!

BLINGTONE Eyeshadow- FULL SIZE! It looks like I can use this with a lot of different looks!

JOICO KPAK Revitaluxe- I love trying hair treatments, hopefully I can get my shiny hair back!

BOO BOO Cover Up- VERY small sample size, I won't knock it until I try it though.

They have GREAT and QUICK customer service. I made a mistake with my credit card number and it was fixed immediately! I cant wait for next month!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

Too Faced Natural Eye Tutorial

2012-01-16T21:50:00.001-05:00

This is one of my everyday go to looks using Too Faced Natural Eye Palette. Its quick, easy, and shimmery! I hate mornings so I am a lover of one brush, one palette looks.

I love this palette because the colors can be used for day looks as well as night looks. As you can see, my favorite colors have already hit pan. This is the palette that goes in my makeup bag if I have to get ready somewhere else!

Face:

Too Faced

Primed and Poreless

Amazing Face Liquid Foundation- Perfect Nude

Absolutely Flawless- Perfect Nude

(review for the first 3 here)

Pink Leopard Broner

Eyes:

Too Faced

Natural Eye Palette- Silk Teddy, Cocoa Puff, Honey Pot, Heaven (I used this for my highlight but forgot to add it above)

After Flats Review- Convertible Shoes

2012-01-15T14:50:00.001-05:00

After Flats are convertible shoes that you can wear after a long day/night of high heel wearing! These are different than other convertible shoes because of the price and the tote bag that can be made from the clutch.

PRICE: The clutch/tote and shoes are only $19.97! Other convertible shoes can cost up to $200!

CLUTCH/TOTE: I LOVE how I can fit my convertible shoes plus my essentials (ID, debit cards, lipgloss) and then turn it into a tote to carry my heels back home! I've never heard of anything like this before.

I always end up walking bear footed to my car after a long night out with my friends. I know it sounds gross, but 4+ inches combined with drinks and dancing equals lots of pain and me not caring how I look because my feet are hurting so bad!

Now I can make the walk back to my car with a little more class, LOL!

I highly recommend these! Aren't these the BEST things ever?!

DISCLAIMER: I received free items in exchange for a review. Opinions 100% are mine and honest.

Birchbox- January 2012

2012-01-14T17:52:00.001-05:00

I finally received my January 2012 Birchbox!

My box included:
ARCHIPELAGO Pomegranate Body Scrub- Not a fan of soaps because I have a HG soap already and I really don't use bar soaps, BUT I will still use it. At least it smells good.
JUICY COUTURE Juicy Couture- Love the smell but I don't think I would every buy a whole bottle.
STILA Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Purple Tang- Excited to try this! The color is very dark, it almost looks black with purple shimmers.
ZOYA Nail Polish in Megan- This is a color I would never purchase on my own but since it was in my box I will definitely try it!
WITCHCRAFT Granola- I love food, so I love when food samples are included too!
BIRCHBOX Logo Magnet- Nice little extra.

I am very easy to please, so I think this month's box was worth it!

What did you get in yours? Did you think it was worth it this month?

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

Baked by Melissa- Foodie Fridays

2012-01-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

So I tried some of the BEST mini cupcakes ever last week! They are from BAKED BY MELISSA.

These these come in all sorts of flavors and are the perfect bite of deliciousness!

These are the flavors (screenshot from her website):

They are located in New York and deliver! They are kind of pricey ($1 a mini cupcake, $25 min) but sometimes you just need to treat yourself!

DISCLAIMER: I was given this as a gift from a friend.

The Hollywood Beauty Event

2012-01-12T19:37:00.000-05:00

LAGLOW is the host of THE HOLLYWOOD BEAUTY EVENT.

I wish I lived in California so I can go to this! Lots of expert makeup artists and other highly knowledgeable people will be there. The best part is that the site mentions lots of freebies and giveaway!! If you are in the California area or are willing to travel there, you can win 2 FREE tickets!

To ENTER go here. "Like" their page and enter you info!

GOOD LUCK!

Pixi & Pop Review- Hautelook Purchase

2012-01-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

My Pixi & Pop Purchase from Hautelook! I love this site, great name brand products for half the price!

Pixi Lumi Lux Radiance Powder- Rose Radiance

Original Price $26Hautelook Price $7

LOVE this product! I use this on my forehead, cheekbones, and nose bridge. It gives you a little shimmer without over doing it. GREAT for everyday wear. I also love how it comes in the prettiest rose pattern.

Pixi Gel Liner Onyx

Orignal Price $18

Hautelook Price $4.50

LOVE this product as well! I use this on my waterline and it stays put all day! I am very impressed with the staying power. It didn't smear or give me the raccoon look, a BIG plus in my book.

POP Beauty Lush Blush Rose Blossom

Orignal Price $18

Hautelook Price $4.50

LIKE this product a lot! I love how the color is not too bold, but not too light, and just perfect. It comes with a applicator attached to the bottom. I will probably never use this but it could be beneficial for blush on the go!

POP Beauty Petal Jam Lip Gloss Blooming Orange

Orignal Price $9

Hautelook Price $4.50

HATE this product! When I first opened it, it looks very lumpy and not very pleasing to the eye. The smell is okay. It doesn't feel like its keeping my lips moisturized. The taste is kind of off putting as well. I think the $4.50 I paid was too much!

*The last 2 products I could not find on the website. I found the "original price" through stores through google that sell them.

My grand total INCLUDING shipping was $24.95!
If you haven't signed up for Hautelook, sign up with my link please :)

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.

Born Pretty Store- M16 Plate Review

2012-01-07T21:20:00.003-05:00

I received this M16 plate from Born Pretty Store to review.

This plate is VERY comparable to other name brand plates. The grooves are just the perfect depth to achieve plate to stamper to nail. I've tried other brands where the nail polish would scrap off completely when the scrapper was used.

I was also looking through the site for things I wanted to purchase next and a lot of the nail stamping plates are really reasonably priced! There's a nail stamp plate with 42 designs for under 7 dollars!

Just remember since the company ships from Asia, shipping time is longer than usual. For more nail art supplies make sure to visit bornprettystore.com!

Use code GENIAJ61 for 5% off :)

Watch for a sparkly french tip tutorial using this plate coming soon!

Disclaimer: : I received free items in exchange for a review. Opinions 100% are mine and honest.

Coconut Curry Mussels Recipe- Foodie Fridays

2012-01-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

Coconut Curry Mussels

INGREDIENTS

2 lb mussels (washed and de-bearded)

1 can coconut milk

2 spoonfuls curry powder

onion (I used a handful of chopped onions)

garlic (I used 2 cloves, minced)

1/2 cup white wine

butter

RECIPE

1- In a pan, add onions, garlic, coconut milk, wine, and curry powder (adjust to your taste). Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, it should reduce to a thicker sauce.

2- In another pan, melt the butter and mix in mussels at medium high.

3- Add the coconut curry sauce into the pan with the mussels.

4- Let them cook until all mussels are open.

I made these for the first time after watching a show that talked about coconut curry mussels! They are so good! A little sweet, a little salty, and a little spicy!

Brazilian Peel Sample Review

2012-01-04T19:29:00.000-05:00

I got this sample with one of my Sephora purchases.

I LOVE this at home peel! Its was very easy to use. You twist the top off, pump it all in your hand, mix, and put it on your face. I love products that give me the tingly/ burning sensation, it makes me feel like the product is actually working and killing bad things in my skin! This one didn't feel bad at all though, It felt warm at first but then it was fine. After 10 minutes you rinse with cold water. My skin felt differently instantly! It was so smooth, tight, and soft. I really want to purchase the one specifically for acne. The one that came in the sample was for anti aging, which at this time I am not concerned with.

This is the link to the sample I tried. It was for anti aging.

This is the link to the one I want! This one is for acne.

Would you buy this at home peel?!

DISCLAIMER: This was sample that came with a purchase I made myself.

Everyday Purple Tutorial w/ Estee Lauder by Michael Kors Set

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

The set I used (Estee Lauder by Michael Kors Gunmental Set):

LOVE this kit! The palette has great colors for everyday wear and the lip stick and lip gloss look amazing together! Also the cute Michael Kors makeup bag is the icing on the cake!

Let me know what you think of my tutorial! Its my first one ever and I took all the product pics and then photo shopped them in. Should I do more of these "minimal word image tutorials"?!

DISCLAIMER: This set was gifted to me for Christmas.

Tarte Eyelash Curler and Mascara Review

2012-01-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

Even I can have longer lashes with volume without falsies! Tarte Eyelash curler combined with Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara and Maybelline Falsies Mascara works WONDERS!

I love how the handles are flat, I don't have to mess with sticking my fingers in those annoying holes. Its very comfortable to use.

The purple rubber piece matches the handle, a nice extra touch if you ask me.

TIP: I blow my hair dryer on the curler part for about 5 seconds, it helps my eyelashes curl stay longer.

I curl my lashes before I put on any mascara. I probably curl each side 2- 3 times. I then use Tarte Light, Camera, Lashes Mascara to help separate my lashes. This mascara is awesome because it separates lashes wonderfully while giving them length! I then add another 1-2 coats of my Maybelline's Falsies to add volume and more length.

This is my end product:

I definitely recommend this set! I got the Tarte Eyelash Curler and Mascara for $15 at Sephora!

DISCLAIMER: I purchased this myself.